Shin Megami Tensei Persona 2023 Review

The Persona series is one of the best and most popular video game series in the JRPG genre, however, that statement is not wholly true for the older games, especially the first one.  There are many reasons why, which will be discussed in this review, and hopefully, for you readers out there who want to try out this game, this review can help you decide if this game is worth playing or not.

The first Persona game has two localized versions, the first one is called Revelations: Persona which was released on the PlayStation on December 20, 1996.  The second version is titled Shin Megami Tensei Persona, released on the PSP on September 22, 2009.  This review will mainly focus on the second version, which is the more definitive version of the game. It is the definitive version because Shin Megami Tensei Persona is a remaster of Revelations: Persona, and it includes faithful translation, restored cut content, and many other improvements.

The first thing we will discuss in this review is the story and characters. Similar to its successors, Shin Megami Tensei Persona's main plot involves a group of high school students who played a fortune-telling game, from which they gained supernatural powers to summon the other selves inside of them called Persona. With this power, they stand against supernatural forces that aim to threaten their town and everyday lives. Gamers will control a silent protagonist, who they can name themselves. The rest of the cast is Maki Sonomura, who is being hospitalized for a mysterious illness. Kei Nanjo, the rich heir to his family's business. Yukino Mayuzumi,  a girl who acts as the older sister of the group. Hidehiko Uesugi, the class clown of the group. Yuka Ayase, the stereotypical "high school girl". Masao Inaba, the rebel of the group. Eriko Kirishima, a half-American who is interested in the occult, and Reiji Kido, a mysterious transfer student. The main antagonist is Takahisa Kandori, a businessman with malicious ambitions.

Even for its age, the story of the game is still entertaining, especially with its ability to reel you in with its many plot twists, a modern setting and give you not one but multiple endings. The same can be said for its cast of characters. Although most of them are not well-developed they still have enough personality and charm and believable motivations that makes them relatable. Overall, the story and characters are definitely the strongest parts of the game.

Now, for the not so strong parts of the game, the gameplay and graphics. Even for a remaster, Shin Megami Tensei Persona is still a very old game. Although its turn-based strategy elements are still pretty fun, it gets very repetitive. The challenging difficulty, high encounter rate, and confusing negotiation system are also some of the reasons why the gameplay is often criticized by modern gamers. And because of its age, the visuals in the game can be considered dull if you compare it to its more vibrant successors. 

Just like its successors, however, the soundtrack in this game is excellent.  With catchy and powerful vocals and clean instrumentals, it will be very difficult not to get addicted to the songs.

Finally, now that you know all the good and bad parts of the game, it is time to answer the question "Is Shin Megami Tensei Persona worth playing in 2023?"  My answer to that is... yes, however, I will only say that to those who are experienced with classic turn-based JRPGS, because in my opinion, this game is not friendly for newcomers in the genre.